It was an interesting experience to sit in the cab of a HGV and see how the driver’s visibilty is so restricted. In particular, whilst I was aware of being very careful on the left hand side of the vehicle, I hadn’t appreciated how vulnerable cyclists could be in front of the vehicle (in, for instance, the cycling area created by an advanced stop line).
Loughborough University have done a lot of research on behalf of the DfT (see this link for full details) including the chart on the left showing the areas that drivers can see directly, those they can see in their mirrors, and those that are invisible.